Pillars underrated Flying Eagles, admits Afelokhai

Coach and captain of Glo Premier League champions, Kano Pillars have admitted that they may have under-rated the Flying Eagles leading to the 2-1 defeat they suffered on Match Day 2 of the Glo League Super 6 tournament on Monday at the Abuja National Stadium.

Goalkeeper, Theophillus Afelokhai was the first to reach the conclusion during the post-match conference but vowed that the next match against the National U-23 Olympic team won’t be approached lightly.

“I think some of my team mates under-rated the Flying Eagles and that was what got us to lose the match”, he said, and added: “We will return for the next match with seriousness and play as though we are playing against the Super Eagles.”

Coach Okey Emordi afterwards concurred with his skipper and defended their ball holding and compact play as the best approach to play against the fast-paced Flying Eagles.

“We did not play well in the first half and it is possible as the captain said that they under rated their opponents…that is football for you, a single error causes grave consequences. However, in football, there is the element of entertainment but it is more important to be business-like to win your game. Our ball holding and compact play was the best response to the Flying Eagles who were faster and running around,” rationalised Emordi.

But the Coach believes that despite the loss, Kano Pillars can still realise their ambition of winning the Super 6.

“I admit that the tournament is not a must-win because we are still building this team for the Champions League, but we could still recover from that loss and win the tournament.”

Pillars won their opening game 2-0 against Dolphins but succumbed to the junior Eagles on Monday to slip from the top to third place on the standing.